1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; modifying licensure requirements for teachers trained in 
1.3 	other states;amending Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 122A.23, 
1.4 	subdivision 2.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 122A.23, subdivision 2, 
1.7 	is amended to read:
1.8 		Subd. 2.Applicants licensed in other states. (a) Subject to the requirements 
1.9 	of sections 122A.18, subdivision 8, and 123B.03, the Board of Teaching must issue a 
1.10 	teaching license or a temporary teaching license under paragraphs (c) to (f) to an applicant 
1.11 	who holds at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university 
1.12 	and holds or held an out-of-state teaching license that requires the applicant to successfully 
1.13 	complete a teacher preparation program approved by the issuing state, which includes 
1.14 	either (1) field-specific teaching methods, student teaching, or equivalent experience, or (2) 
1.15 	at least two years of teaching experience as the teacher of record in a similar licensure field.
1.16 	(b) The Board of Teaching may issue a standard license on the basis of teaching 
1.17 	experience and examination requirements only.
1.18 	(c) The Board of Teaching must issue a teaching license to an applicant who:
1.19 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
1.20 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
1.21 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar content field and 
1.22 	grade levels if the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less 
1.23 	than a similar Minnesota license, and either (i) has completed field-specific teaching 
2.1 	methods, student teaching, or equivalent experience, or (ii) has at least two years of 
2.2 	teaching experience as the teacher of record in a similar licensure field.
2.3 	(d) The Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to 
2.4 	an applicant who:
2.5 	(1) successfully completed all exams required by the Board of Teaching;
2.6 	(2) holds an out-of-state teaching license to teach in the same content field and 
2.7 	grade levels as a Minnesota license; and
2.8 	(3) has had at least one full school year of teaching experience as a teacher of record 
2.9 	in the licensure field during the last five years.
2.10 	(e) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules and paragraph (i), must 
2.11 	issue up to four one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who holds or held 
2.12 	an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar content field and grade levels, where 
2.13 	the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less than a similar 
2.14 	Minnesota license, but has not successfully completed all exams and human relations 
2.15 	preparation components required by the Board of Teaching.
2.16 	(e) (f) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules, must issue up to four 
2.17 	one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who:
2.18 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
2.19 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
2.20 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar content field 
2.21 	and grade levels, where the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade 
2.22 	levels less than a similar Minnesota license, but has not completed field-specific teaching 
2.23 	methods or student teaching or equivalent experience.
2.24 	The applicant may complete field-specific teaching methods and student teaching 
2.25 	or equivalent experience by successfully participating in a one-year school district 
2.26 	mentorship program consistent with board-adopted standards of effective practice and 
2.27 	Minnesota graduation requirements.
2.28 	(f) (g) The Board of Teaching must issue a restricted teaching license for only in the 
2.29 	content field or grade levels specified in the out-of-state license to an applicant who:
2.30 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
2.31 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
2.32 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license where the out-of-state license is 
2.33 	more limited in the content field or grade levels than a similar Minnesota license.
2.34 	(g) (h) The Board of Teaching may issue a two-year limited provisional license to 
2.35 	an applicant under this subdivision to teach in a shortage area, consistent with section 
2.36 	122A.18, subdivision 4a.
3.1 	(h) (i) The Board of Teaching may issue a license under this subdivision if the 
3.2 	applicant has attained the additional degrees, credentials, or licenses required in a 
3.3 	particular licensure field and the applicant can demonstrate competency by obtaining 
3.4 	qualifying scores on the board-adopted skills examination in reading, writing, and 
3.5 	mathematics, and on applicable board-adopted rigorous content area and pedagogy 
3.6 	examinations under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraphs (a) and (e).
3.7 	(i) (j) The Board of Teaching must require an applicant for a teaching license 
3.8 	or a temporary teaching license under this subdivision to pass a board-adopted skills 
3.9 	examination in reading, writing, and mathematics before the board issues the license 
3.10 	unless, notwithstanding other provisions of this subdivision, an applicable board-approved 
3.11 	National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification interstate 
3.12 	reciprocity agreement exists to allow fully certified teachers from other states to transfer 
3.13 	their certification to Minnesota.